Our History

1937: The Beginning

Culpepper Realty Company was established when John Cecil Culpepper developed College Hills Residential Subdivision. Believing that Texas A&M would reverse its orientation and flip to face the newly designated Highway 6, John Cecil Culpepper bought 200 acres of pasture land to develop into a residential area. The flip did happen and both College Hills and Culpepper Realty doubled in size within two years and added, at the corner of Texas 6 and Munson Drive across from what was soon and is today the main entrance to Texas A&M, the first commercial buildings to be called a shopping strip. College Station incorporated in 1938.

1938 – 1950: Origins

John Cecil Culpepper was appointed by Governor Alan Shivers as one of the original six Real Estate Commissioners for the State of Texas. Serving as its President during his second term on the commission, he was present for the signing of the first Texas Real Estate Licensing law.

Culpepper helped organize the Bryan-College Station Real Estate Board serving as its first President.

1950 – 1960: Bryan Developments

In 1950, Culpepper turns cow pastures into Ridgecrest, the first shopping center in either Bryan or College Station. Culpepper also develops the Oak Terrace subdivision behind Ridgecrest along Texas Avenue stretching into both cities. He developed the first apartment complex in Bryan, along College Avenue.

Bryan lost 25% of its population in 1955 when Bryan Air Force base closed. John Cecil Culpepper responded by making the single largest land purchase in the history of Bryan, another cow pasture, and promptly developed it into the area’s first Regional Shopping Center, Townshire, and Bryan’s largest residential subdivision, Culpepper Manor.

1960-1962: Residential Growth

The last cow pasture John Cecil Culpepper bought was from the Dominik family. In 1962 Carter’s Grove Subdivision, just east of College Hills was developed. The commercial part would come in the early 1970’s with his son, John Cecil Culpepper, Jr.

Culpepper made another large land purchase in the ‘60’s, this time with his partner, Senator W. T. Moore, often called “The Bull of the Brazos”. This purchase ultimately lead to St. Joseph Hospital relocating from downtown Bryan to 29th Street and Villa Maria Drive and to serve physicians for adjacent medical office buildings. Other parts of this land were developed into the first modern apartment building in the area and the first facility to provide health care to the elderly throughout the region. John Cecil Culpepper, Jr. returned home, having just been sworn into the Texas Bar.

1962-1965: Local Development

Culpepper Sr. and Jr. developed a residential subdivision in College Station in 1962 named Carter’s Grove Subdivision.

St. Joseph Hospital in Bryan obtained a special grant funding from Texas with William T. “Bill” Moore’s help in 1962. Culpepper and Moore developed medical office buildings next to the St. Joseph Hospital in Bryan, The Osler Medical Offices.

Culpepper developed Tropicana Apartments in Bryan in 1962.
Culpepper and Moore developed one of the first Nursing Homes in the Brazos Valley in 1963 named Sherwood Health Care. Sherwood was located near St. Joseph Hospital in Bryan.

Culpepper Sr. and Jr. obtained a bank charter in College Station that formed the second bank in College Station, The Bank of Commerce in 1963.

1965-1970: Manor East Mall

John Cecil Culpepper Jr. developed the first enclosed mall in the Bryan and College Station area in 1965. The 400,000 square foot mall was named Manor East Mall. The mall was located at the intersection of Texas Avenue and Villa Maria Road in Bryan. New large retail business came to our community, Britt’s Department Store, JC Penny, and Kroger. Montgomery Ward was located in downtown Bryan but ultimately burned down. They reopened with a new store in Manor East Mall. Wal-Mart joined Manor East Mall in 1966.

John Cecil Culpepper, Jr. joined the International Council of Shopping Centers at its inception in 1968, serving as Faculty Member of its University of Shopping Centers.

1970-1980: Grocery Expansion

During the 1970s, Culpepper Sr. and Jr. were developing many shopping centers and Wal-Marts across many small markets in Texas. They also developed properties for Kroger and the US Post Office in Bryan in 1971. Culpepper Plaza I and II in College Station in 1973. Culpepper Office Park in College Station in 1973. La Villita in Alice in 1973. Kingsville Shopping Center in Kingsville in 1973. Walnut Square in New Braunfels in 1973. Southmore Plaza in Pasadena in 1973. Mirabeau Square in Paris in 1978.

Culpepper established a communications company during this period owning and operating radio stations across three states. Culpepper Communications started or purchased 15 radio stations in Texas, Florida and Idaho.

In May 1971, Culpepper presented the first private donation to the new real estate research center at Texas A&M University. Governor Preston Smith signed the bill authorizing the center during the same month.

The last endeavor John Cecil Sr. and John Cecil Jr. undertook was the purchase of the Circle Drive-In Movie along with a few adjacent small commercial buildings which included a service station at the corner of University Drive and South College Avenue in College Station. This area became the University Square Shopping Center bringing into town the area’s largest supermarket, Skaggs-Albertsons, along with the area’s first IHOP, Mr. Gatti’s Pizza, and Plitt Cinemas.

1980-1990: Retail Development

This was a time of great growth and then turmoil for real estate in Texas. The early 1980s saw tremendous growth in Texas. Culpepper developed Market Square in Brenham in 1982. Having a great relationship with Safeway Grocery, Culpepper developed the Culpepper North Shopping Center in Bryan in 1986. Culpepper developed another Safeway and a large high rise office building in Bryan named, Galleria Office Tower and Village in 1987. The Savings and Loan Crisis were in full swing in Texas by this time. Many financial institutions were failing and real estate was being foreclosed upon. Culpepper Realty suffered property foreclosures. Retail tenants declared bankruptcy as did many banks in Texas. Culpepper Plaza in College Station was reluctantly sold to Jerry J. Moore by Culpepper Jr. as a survival tactic. Real Estate projects ground to a halt and the industry was stagnant for many years for Culpepper.

Before the Galleria Office tower officially opened, both its short and long term lenders had been taken over by the RTC and had their assets frozen. Its major tenant was taken over by the FDIC and, shortly after the Galleria Tower’s opening, it was closed by the RTC. The property was taken over by the RTC and lost. During the next decade, many retail centers throughout Texas were taken over by the RTC. Only one bank and one Savings and Loan in Brazos County were not closed by the RTC and in turn given to financial institutions that were “too large to fail”. The surviving savings and loan was Homestead, chartered by Culpeppers Sr. and Jr. some twenty years earlier.

With partner, William Demetree, John Cecil Culpepper Jr. and John (Jack) Culpepper III became qualified buyers for RTC properties and were able to buy back some of their former properties and purchase others.

It was during this tense and difficult time that John Cecil Culpepper III, having finished his degree in Organizational Communications in 1987 and started the process of becoming a Certified Property Manager, returned to join Culpepper Realty. It was his plan to emphasize renovation of already owned properties and to develop, purchase and join with others in Property Management.

1990-1996: Stalworth

In 1990 Stalworth management was incorporated by the State of Texas with John Cecil Culpepper III (Jack) as Chairman and CEO, Jack had become a Certified Property Manager and Real Estate Broker. Stalworth Corporation received its certificate as an Accredited Management Organization in 1994.
In 1995, Jack Culpepper bought and developed Milam Plaza in Cameron, Texas. Brookshire Brothers Grocery was added to Dollar General and Stage Stores in 2004.

During this time John and Jack developed and brokered land and buildings for HEB Pantries in Bryan and College Station, Outback Steakhouse, Target and Chili’s in College Station.

Jack Culpepper purchased land for, leased, and built freestanding stores for Eckerd (now CVS) Pharmacy in Bryan, Brownwood, and Corsicana, Texas in 1998 and 2000.

1996-1998: Property Trading

Jack Culpepper traded properties with the Boyette Family. The Mud Lot was a vacant six-acre tract of land owned by the Boyette Family at the corner of Church and Nagle in College Station. It was a gravel and mud parking lot for Texas A&M students for many years. The Mud Lot adjoined a 10-acre tract the Culpepper Family owned. Jack traded and Bill Boyette and many family members a residential portfolio across Bryan and College Station for the Mud Lot.

1998-2000: St. Mary’s Catholic Church

St. Mary’s Catholic Church acquired three acres of the Mud Lot from the Culpepper Family in 1998. Father Mike Siss and Father David Konderla worked with Jack Culpepper to acquire land across Nagle Street next to the original church for additional parking.

Through prayer, it became clear that Mary and Jack should make the land available to the church at the lowest price they could afford to sell.

This real estate transaction has turned out to be the most meaningful in Jack’s life. Knowing that countless people for years will be able to experience Holy Mass and the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in this beautiful cathedral is an everlasting gift to the Culpepper Family just like Christ’s love us all.

2000 – 2003: Expanding Retail Footprint

Culpepper Jr. and “Jack” worked together on many shopping center properties along with Frank Heifrin during this time. Jack purchased part of two existing shopping centers, one in Cameron and the other in Cleveland, Texas. Building two new Dollar Generals, Radio Shack and Rent-A-Center. Frank and John C. Jr worked on redeveloping malls into shopping centers in Kingsville and Corsicana. Other properties were purchased with the idea of adding value to them and holding them for the long term.

2003 – 2007: Tejas Center

The redevelopment of Manor East Mall in Bryan to an open air center, Tejas Center, was a major undertaking by John C. Culpepper, Jr. and John “Jack” C. Culpepper, III. This project was to be John Cecil Culpepper Jr.’s last.

The key to this project and the redevelopment was the inclusion of a new H.E.B. grocery store. Culpepper Jr. had originally developed this site as an enclosed mall in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The property was handed over to the RTC and later repurchased by the Culpepper Family with the help of partners from Florida.

Converting an enclosed mall into an open-air shopping center anchored by H.E.B. was challenging and exciting. The City of Bryan and surrounding community were all supportive, and the project was positive and successful in our community.

2008: Remembering John Cecil

John Cecil Culpepper Jr. Passes

John Cecil Culpepper Jr. began his real estate career practicing law in Bryan. Later joining his father’s business, Culpepper Realty Company, in the 1960s. John was interested in commercial real estate development early on. He joined the International Council of Shopping Centers at its inception in 1968, serving as Faculty Member of its University of Shopping Centers. John enjoyed working on deals throughout Texas, Florida, and Louisiana.

John was a true entrepreneur, not only in real estate but also pursued other businesses and enjoyed the friendships he made naturally. John bought land, developed shopping centers and freestanding commercial buildings in Bryan, College Station, Pasadena, Brenham, New Braunfels, Alice, Paris, Beaumont, and Kingsville, Texas. He brokered developments in Orlando, Florida and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He brokered and developed 15 Wal-Marts and two Sam’s Warehouse Stores. He developed more than 20 Bealls Stores throughout Texas and Louisiana. During his 50-year career he developed 3 million square feet of retail space in Texas.

2009 – 2013: The Stack

Jack Culpepper steered the family company into the student housing business with the largest Culpepper real estate project, at the time, The Stack. Jack partnered with a former employee and colleague Rafael Figueroa to help develop and build a student focused project on property that the Culpepper family owned next to Texas A&M University in College Station. The property formerly called University Square, was developed as a shopping center by Culpepper Sr. and Jr. In the 1970s. This property has been renamed to Legacy Point and is a master planned mixed use district containing student housing and retail. The property is located at the intersection of University Drive and South College Ave in College Station.

2014: Generations Senior Living Center

John Cecil Culpepper Jr. and William T. “Bill” Moore developed Sherwood Health Care in Bryan in the 1960s. This Nursing home was one of the first facilities serving elderly patients in the Brazos Valley. John Cecil Jr. and Bill Moore both received care along with other family members and thousands of citizens from the Brazos Valley over five decades.

Mary Claire Culpepper was the administrator for Sherwood for the last ten years and helped transition in the new development, Generations, in 2014. Mary and Jack Culpepper lead the new development and went through the HUD financing process with support from the Moore family. Marcus Watkins was on the Culpepper Team working through this project for several years. The Generations business and real estate were later sold, and the families exited the business in 2016.

This health care business our family participated in for over fifty years in our community was difficult but rewarding, knowing we employed thousands of people and cared for hundreds of thousands of people in a Christian manner. This was our family’s biggest impact and charitable work, benefiting so many people by providing millions in free health care with Mary Claire Culpepper’s leadership over the years of ownership.

2015 – 2019: The Fourth Generation and Shopping Center Expansions

John Crenan Culpepper became the fourth generation to join the family real estate business in 2018 after working with No Fences Land Company in D/FW following graduation from Texas A&M University’s business school. John quickly learned about his family’s business and began to think about plans for the future of Culpepper Realty Company.

• Mount Pleasant Center expansion adding Bealls
• South Gate Center Expansion with Hobby Lobby and Harbor Freight in Kingsville
• Fresenius Medical Care Pad Building Addition in Kingsville
• Paris Towne Center Expansion Pad and Remodel
• Foster Student Housing Development in College Station
• FireKeepers Barndominium Development in Kansas
• Dollar General Development in Victoria
• Abilene Center Purchase
• Henderson Building Remodel

2019 – 2020: Navigating COVID

The Covid –19 Pandemic was a big blow to retail shopping centers across the country. Most businesses were shut down except for “essential” businesses. We had more than 100 retail tenants shut down and stop paying rent. Thank GOD, John Crenan Culpepper was working for our family business. John’s organizational skills and business management education from Texas A&M was put to the test at home working through many issues for our company. We had many tenants that could not open for business. We all worked around the clock for months trying to renegotiate leases on short-term basses. Small retailers worked with us and paid what they could while some larger national chains stiffed us and hoarded cash. Most national tenants ignored their leases and legal obligations and left owners hanging. The majority of lenders still required mortgage payments, leaving owners in a difficult situation. Our company stayed open during this time and followed guidelines to not get each other sick. Thankfully, with everyone’s diligence, we didn’t have any COVID issues amongst our team.

2021: A New Strategy

Following the COVID Pandemic, many retailers and developers reevaluated their businesses. There were many retail and restaurant closures and bankruptcies. Culpepper Realty did the same, and decided to shift focus away from retail and grow both the industrial and student housing portfolios.

25 Residential Houses were sold and allowed for our first Industrial acquisition, a sale leaseback with Wisenbaker Builder Services near the D/FW airport.

We chose to sell retail properties with the goal of growing in industrial in both Houston and D/FW.

We developed the Frost Bank Building in Bryan.

We sold College Park Mall in Corsicana, Kingsville Professional Building, and South Gate Center in Kingsville.

2022: Port of Houston

With an industrial acquisition near the Port of Houston, Culpepper continues to execute on the new strategy in 2022. Utilizing 1031 proceeds from the sale of Southgate Center in Kingsville, Culpepper purchased 1251 Clay Court in the Battleground Business Park in Deer Park. 1751 Valley View Lane, a former landfill, was also acquired to eventually develop an additional industrial project.

Culpepper developed a new Starbucks building on a pad site in the LaVilitta Shopping Center in Alice, Texas.

2023: Planning the Future

2023 marked was a year filled with intercompany evaluations. Led by Jack McReynolds, Culpepper Realty re-evaluated not only the company’s mission and vision statement but dove deep into future strategy for investments and development. The rigorous process resulted in a new 5-year company plan and helped streamline work flows. The work put in by John, Frank, Jack M, Jack C, and Diedra will pay off for years to come both culturally and financially.

2024: Valley View Industrial Development

Culpepper Realty broke ground on our first industrial development project. A 96,853 square foot state of the art facility in Farmers Branch. The land was acquired in 2022 and took over a year to receive final approval for construction by TCEQ as the site was utilized as a landfill in the 1970s. Stream Realty Partners provided expertise from the land acquisition all the way through the development and in leasing.

2025: The Jay Breaks Ground

Culpepper’s largest project to date kicks off, The Jay. LV Collective and Culpepper partner to develop Legacy Point which is a 13-acre property directly adjacent to Texas A&M University. The Jay will deliver in 2027 and contain 953 beds. The Jay is adjacent to The Stack which was delivered in 2014.

Culpepper sold two CVS locations originally developed for Eckerd Pharmacy in Corsicana and Bryan. Culpepper also sold a previously developed small retail building in Bryan leased by Frost Bank and Dr. Black Dental.

Mary Lake Farm and Crenan Farm, both family legacy farms, were sold to SB Energy for construction of a solar panel farm to service a nearby data center in Burlington. The Crenan Farm was started in 1886, and the Mary Lake Farm was started in 1914. Selling these farms was bittersweet and very difficult but, in the end, we feel like our ancestors would have supported the decision and understood the reasoning.

The redevelopment of River Hills Mall in Kerrville began. Frank Heifrin took the lead on this project, one of many projects converting an enclosed mall to an open air shopping center. Jack and Frank together helped bring Academy to the property. Academy is the first step toward a long redevelopment process.

2026: Repositioning

Culpepper Realty continued making acquisitions and dispositions based on our long-term strategy shift.

As part of the expansion and redevelopment of Culpepper North Shopping Center in Bryan, we developed a Murphy USA gas station on our pad site. We sold that pad after construction was completed.

Culpepper made the decision to sell one of our best shopping centers that John Cecil Culpepper Jr. developed from the ground up, Paris Towne Center/Mirabeau Square. The shopping center sale allowed for a class A industrial acquisition in D/FW.

Utilizing 1031 funds from Mary Lake Farm and Crenan Ranch, the Culpepper family acquired a 77,160 square foot industrial building located near the intersection of Beltway 8 and I-45.

LV Collective acquired a 1.5 acre tract of Legacy Point for the partnership’s next student housing phase, Rambler. The new project will be the tallest building in B/CS when it’s completed in 2028. The proceeds from the land sale were paired with Paris Towne Center for the industrial acquisition. Culpepper will be a minority owner in the Rambler project.